1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a communications system for distributing information to and from local and regional distribution centers as well as individual dial-up servers. The communications system contains an interactive, configurable interface.
2. Description of the Related Art
The digital networks that are currently in operation allow end-user's computers, such as personal computers (PC's), laptops, palm PC's and digital assistants, to communicate with servers of information by transmitting signals through a number of mediums including twisted-pair, broadband cable, satellite communications, and infrared and cellular technologies. In the last decade there has been a convergence of all types of communication signals into the digital format. In addition, new technologies have vastly improved the effective transmission rates of analog and digital communications. Great strides in efficiency and interoperability have been made in the telephone, television, satellite, optical transmission and cellular communications.
Computer networks have communicated by digital transmissions for many years. The efficiencies gained by the use of digital transmission technologies, such as encoding and compression, in computer networks has led to a digital revolution in all communications fields. The communications advance has produced the means for transmitting a wealth of information to an end-user or consumer of information. Every day content providers are creating new formats for existing information and otherwise creating content to sell or transmit to end-users. In addition, personal communication technology has diversified to include telephones, pagers and personal assistants, including voice messaging systems and E-mail capability. Personal communications may be in digital and analog format and communicated through a plethora of media, including twisted pair, broadband cable, fiber-optic, cellular, and satellite (including geosynchronous and low orbit systems).
Currently, the end user sends and receives personal communications and information by a number of sources including telephone, pager, radio, television, internet access, each having a number of modes of delivery (i.e. telephony, RF and microwave broadcast, cellular technology, broadband and fiber-optic cable and satellite transmissions). A telephone communications system alone may use all of the aforementioned communication medium. It is anticipated that many types of information systems will continue the current trend of expanding their distribution channels to include more communications mediums and formats. For example, the expansion of television content distribution from analog RF broadcast to the cable and satellite technologies and to the digital format.
As each type of information is manipulated to conform to the requirements of efficient distribution and communication across the various media, there is a growing recognition that there are advantages to be gained in the convergence of information sources and distribution media.
Current convergent systems, however, fail to provide the integration to take advantage of the synergies that may be achieved between the various types of communications available, namely the operation by non-computer literate, handicapped or physically challenged individuals. Set-top boxes, allowing cable television operators to provide internet access and modems' digitalization of the signals across telephone lines to provide inter-computer communication, fail to provide an integrated solution taking advantage of the directed use of the personal communications and the broadcast nature intended by many of the content providers. Current integration devices merely build upon existing technology, such as television or the personal computer.